Dragons By Starlight
by Angelic-Shadowcat
Summary: [short story] A brother comes to term with his and his sister's Impression after unusual circumstances bring them together.


Dragons By Starlight

_Disclaimer: The world of Pern and Dragonriders belongs to Anne and Todd McCaffrey. The original characters featuring in this story belong to the author of this story._

_I sense… distress, Mine._

Darkness was slow, so Rukbat's warmth held out a little longer as the summer's day dwindled away. J'ran stared, sunset turning the Bowl into a labyrinth of nigh unrecognisable shadows. All around him people- peers, comrades, friends- bustled about, collecting their belongings, settling into their nightly routines. Dragons swept to their ledges, the apprentice dragonriders- weyrlings- returned to their barracks.

And yet, something was missing.

"_Where's Jeya? Where's Elsiath?"_

_That was my fear, Mine._

"Hey- have you seen-" J'ran grabbed another boy's arm. H'den, a fellow weyrling and bluerider, jumped a little. "Jeya?" J'ran finished, hiding the colour in his cheeks by looking down. He knew he oughtn't worry so much for his sister, but she was so small… so young. She didn't belong here, or on a dragon. She wasn't a fighter. She wasn't…

_J'ranMine, she and Elsiath are together…_

"Master L'ron sent her n' her green to the lake for extra washing. Elsiath's hide, y'know?" H'den tilted his head, the innocent smile he usually wore gone. "Worried, Jer'?"

"No, of course not…" The hushed lie did nothing to settle J'ran's heart. Even Lireth snorted, and H'den glanced up at the brown dragon.

"Sure about that? Come on- let's find her." In turn, J'ran's arm was taken and suddenly he was being pulled forwards, staggering. H'den was oddly decisive for one so lanky and often unassuming.

"Hey- hey. It's okay."

"Nonsense. I can tell Lireth is upset, and I don't even need Jakkieth to tell me."

_Jakkieth- are you spying on me?_ J'ran heard his dragon's surprised intonation, and his eyes found the deep blue dragon that followed him and his rider on foot.

H'den laughed a little- J'ran was deaf to Jakkieth's mental conversation, but Lireth seemed reassured. J'ran sighed and surrendered to H'den's strength, falling into step beside the boy. What kind of a rider was he if he couldn't even hold his ground against a younger man than himself?

_You should stop being so harsh on yourself and others. Don't you believe Jakkieth and his are strong?_

"_Not until now, no, Lireth."_

_What about Elsiath and Hers?_

J'ran had no answer for that. Instead, he let memories fill his mind. The young, scrawny girl was playing with mud. The nearby children ignored her, and all he did was watch them. He was their ringleader, but no amount of coaxing could bring her closer to them or have them accept her. There was always a rift- as if she put them aside on purpose, as if she preferred her own company. Sometimes he worried they picked on her. He knew some of the other boys did.

They were at a Gather. Their parents were busy holding the family stall, and they were off exploring. He noted that she was quiet, but her rare personal observation was particularly insightful. She seemed to be nimble and quick, but unappealing to others for a reason he couldn't figure out. He danced with a girl and then found his sister cowering behind the Harpers' square, her face bruised from a fight. How she drew so much attention without ever wanting it was beyond him.

"_Is she strong?"_

_I trust Elsiath. Elsiath is strong. So must be Hers._

They were in a forest near the cothold. Jeyavan had told them about flitters and it was Jeya who had wanted to go find them. Jeran, sensible, responsible Jeran, watched over her, watched out for her. He always had, he thought with a hint of resentment. There was never a time he hadn't been careful, because when he was slack she would be hurt. He was her protector, her guardian and her brother.

They had found the flitters and their clutch but it had been set upon by wherries. She had chased them away only to have them chase her back- she was never very careful or conscious of her health. She took on too much, Jeya did.

J'ran bit his lip and picked up his pace. He was so stupid- he should have gone with her to the lake! That girl had an uncanny knack for finding trouble.

_Elsiath!_

Both Lireth and Jakkieth bugled. Their Green sister was floundering in the waters, her pitch shrill but muffled by inhaled liquid. No older dragons seemed to be nearby, but a rumbling cry of alarm was starting in the belly of the Weyr, echoing through the soles of his feet.

And Jeya was there. The slight girl was drenched, and even in the semi-darkness J'ran could see her shiver. Her hands were clenched and the look on her face was fierce. Between her and him were three older, taller, stockier boys. Their shaven hair and apprentice knots gave them away as former candidates and J'ran held back the snarl in his throat.

"How dare-" J'ran began, but H'den stilled him with a yank, a frown on his face. Jeya took one step forwards as the boys jeered at her, before leaping into the air, her fist flying. Two of the young men took a step back as she collided with the middle one, toppling him to the ground.

"Leave Elsiath alone! Leave me alone! Don't you dare come back again, Tyrnian. Take your jealousy elsewhere." She punctuated her words with a half-formed punch, fighting back his grip as he tried to throw her off.

J'ran saw her slip and pulled away from H'den. One of the other boys was about to grab his sister's hair, but hesitated as his gaze fell on the furious brownrider. Too late, J'ran thought with savage pleasure as he side-stepped, letting his fist fly. The other boy staggered as it connected with his jaw.

J'ran heard a gasp and a scream and turned to find his sister on her back. Her target had turned the tables on her and she was covering her face with her arms. Elsiath flared up, wings spraying water on the brawlers. Jakkieth and Lireth responded, flaring their own wings and diving towards the young green dragon. They struggled to keep her upright in the water, though they were of half-mind to turn and join the fight.

H'den had run, J'ran noticed. He took a deep breath and pulled the bigger apprentice off his sister. What he hadn't seen were the dragonwings massing in the air above him. What he couldn't hear were the bugles and the cries of dragonfury. All he saw was his sister, the swelling on her cheek and the blood trickling down her lip. He saw the fury in her eyes, and knew it was reflected in his.

_J'ranMine!_

The cry cut across his hazy thoughts and the young man knew he had done something incredibly stupid. The bigger boy turned on him. J'ran sidestepped quickly. Jeya pulled herself to her feet and hit her bully across the back of the head. Tyrnian roared and dove forwards, J'ran bracing himself to catch him by his midriff. The tackle brought him down into the mud, winding him.

More screeches. This time he heard human voices that yelled stop. Heavy hands picked him off the ground as worried, draconic cries filled the air.

"Boy, whatcha done here is sharding foolish." It was L'ron. Dazed, he stared at the man and blinked to clear his swimming vision. Beside him, he heard Jeya's heavy breathing and H'den's calming placations towards their dragons.

_You are most foolish J'ranMine! What if you had died?_

"It… It was only a small… tussle." J'ran said, more to calm his dragon than for the weyrlingmaster's satisfaction- which was good, because the master was not happy.

"It should not have happened. As a dragonrider, you should know better than to endanger your life and the life of your dragon. Both of you, for that matter. Double latrine duties for the next two sevendays."

It was a light punishment, J'ran realised with a jolt. He looked up at the Weyrlingmaster in surprise and found a hint of pride in the man's eyes. He was staring at Jeya, and J'ran suddenly understood. He hadn't thought much of his sister's capabilities until now.

"Get yourselves looked at by Healers then get yourselves to bed."

They did the first, but not the second. The pair checked with the healer on night-duty and then hid on the ledge near the lip of the bowl. Their dragons- still but a month old- slept restlessly in the barracks. They wouldn't be happy until their riders returned, but J'ran needed time with his sister.

"I'm sorry, Jeya."

"For?"

"Helping you out. You didn't need the help."

"One against three and you thought I _didn't_ need the help? Have you lost your mind, brother? Besides, you provided ample distraction. Thank you." She nibbled on a piece of fruit the healer had given her.

"I thought… I thought you shouldn't be a dragonrider."

Silence made his statement heavy and he regretted his words. His pang of guilt disturbed Lireth, who sleepily told him, _You are treading… muddy ground again, Mine._

"Why?"

"Because… you're so little. You're not… that strong."

"Not that strong?" She was holding back. He hadn't realised she had a temper until now. How much did he not know about his quiet little sister?

"It's just… When you were young, I worried so much."

"You still worry, Jer'. You worried then, you worry now. You're a born worrier, I think." She teased him and smiled, but it didn't wipe the frown from his face.

"But Jeya! You're too fragile, you're too…"

"Weak?" Master L'ron didn't think so. Elsiath doesn't think so. I bet even Lireth doesn't think so. H'den thinks I'm strong. And if it's just one more person who believes in me, then it's all worth it."

Her speech stunned him. He didn't believe in her. All this time, he had thought of her as a liability. He had been terrified when she Stood alongside him on those sands... Afraid for her life, in fact. When she had Impressed before him he thought he would die, the fear was that strong.

Lireth had told him he wouldn't- and he was always certain. He had brought the boy strength J'ran didn't think he had. He had watched the young dragon grow, but he hadn't seen his sister grow too.

"I believe in you."

"Then that fight was worth it. Even if you've lost that charming smile of yours now." She laughed.

_See now, the ground is clear and the path ahead is good…_


End file.
